Always use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and paragraph structure. Careless spelling, grammar or punctuation conveys a poor impression of you and the Library. Use the correct spelling feature in Eudora.

There are several copies of style manuals, including the Chicago Manual of Style, available through our Orbis catalog. Search Orbis and borrow one or order your own from any on-line vendor.

Use good structure & layout. Reading from a computer screen is different than reading from paper. Keep your paragraphs short and place blank lines between each paragraph. This allows your reader to scan your message quickly.

Do not capitalize whole words that are not titles. Capitalizing is generally interpreted as SHOUTING to your reader.

Avoid overuse of the "highest priority" option.

Place a table of contents at the top of your message if you have several detailed pieces of information to convey. Documents should be placed in an attachment.

Use an *asterisk* around a word to emphasize a point.

Get your most important points across quickly! Place your most important information in the first paragraph. Put supporting details in subsequent paragraphs. Readers will often scan the first paragraph and make a judgment about the entire message based upon those first few lines.

Descriptive subject lines get attention. A strong subject line that identifies the message content enables your reader to file and retrieve your message later. Good descriptive subject lines allow easy scanning for message content in mailboxes.

Create single subject messages whenever possible.

Limit sentence length to 20 words or two lines.

Use bullets or numbers and short paragraphs whenever possible. The more succinct your message is, the more likely your email will be read, understood and acted upon.

Use "active" rather than "passive" voice when possible.

Use emoticons sparingly. Emoticons are combinations of keyboard characters that convey emotion when viewed sideways...smiley face = :-) = pleasant emotion. They may work with recipients who are familiar with their use but not necessarily with those who are new to the electronic medium. Emoticons are no substitute for clear and concise writing. They are not appropriate for formal business communications.

Avoid misinterpretation of dates by spelling out the month. Example: 24 Jun 01 or Jun 24 01